The Offer
by Syberian
Summary: A few months into her and Zer0's relationship, Aurelia offers Athena an opportunity that she finds very difficult to neither accept or refuse. [Zer0/Athena][Story Completed]
1. Chapter 1

The distant sound of falling water droplets tapping against the metal bowl of the sink barely reached Athena's ears, ignored for the time being. There was a certain tension in the air that she found it difficult to place, but easy to sense. Blinking, she stared absentmindedly at her ECHO device, feeling the temptation to once again press the Play button to listen to the voice mail sent earlier that day.

As she finally considered her options and reached out to press the square button, the sound of the front door unlocking shook her from her thoughts and paused the action. Normally, the sight of Zer0 walking through the door, Thanatos jogging past him to get into the house, would bring a smile on her face and a "Welcome home" to her lips. Now, all she felt was something negative forming in the pit of her stomach, a choking feeling surge in her throat, and a bitter taste in her mouth.

Zer0 turned and locked the door, stuffed the keys into one of his thigh pouches, and turned to look at her. Though she wasn't able to see it, she felt him smiling cheerfully under his mask as he looked over her. As soon as she felt those eyes reach her face, and him notice the almost stressed and over analyzing look on her face, she felt the smile disappear.

"Is there something wrong?" Zer0 asked, walking over in two long steps and sitting down across from her at the kitchen table.

Athena didn't know how to respond, so she simply reached over and pushed the Play button on her ECHO device.

" _Athena, darling!_ " Aurelia's shrill voice burst through the tiny speakers. " _Time is money- and you, as well as all of the poors of this wretched city, know that I have a_ lot _of money- so I will cut to the chase so you don't waste my valuable time. I require a bodyguard to join me on a trip to open new factories located on a few unimportant planets. While I would normally send one of my trusted advisers to do it for me, it appears they have all died of ricin poisoning!"_ She chuckled softly before continuing. " _Anyways, I ask that you join me for my protection and your financial gain."_ Her voice suddenly took on a menacing tone. " _After all. We both know you need the money._ " Just as quick as it changed, it reverted back to her obnoxiously cheerful tone. " _The trip shouldn't take more than two months. Contact me with your decision, darling! Ta-ta!"_

For minutes, they sat in silence after the message had ended. Athena reached over, turned off her ECHO to rid it of Aurelia's profile picture, and clipped it onto her belt. She leaned back in her chair and looked up from the table, gazing at Zer0 from across the table. He sat silently, rigidly, as if made of stone. The only way she knew he was alive was the rhythmic tapping of his finger on the surface of the table. She couldn't tell if that was a good or bad sign.

Before she could question him about it, the table suddenly scooted forward a bit as Thanatos attempted to climb on top of it beside her, but failed hilariously when he dropped back down to the floor. The small stalker let out a screech of irritation and tried once more, claws scratching shallow impressions into the worn, polished wood. Smiling slightly, Athena reached down and picked him up in one hand and scratched the back of his neck with the other, feeling his body suddenly go slack and seeing his eyes close.

She looked down at him, not meeting Zer0's gaze as she asked, "What are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking what you're thinking."

Athena narrowed her eyes. "I don't know what to think, honestly. It's a very generous offer, but _two months_?"

"Two months isn't much," Zer0 pointed out.

"I know, I know." She sighed as the painful memories resurfaced. "Atlas would usually force us on tours or missions that could take over a year to complete. This shouldn't be anything different or new to me, but…"

"But…?"

Athena closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, taking her time to exhale. "But I don't know if I want to go that long without seeing Sanctuary. Without seeing Thanatos." She finally looked up to stare into his blank mask. "Without seeing _you_."

Zer0 didn't respond for a few long moments, sitting silently in his chair as all movement stopped. Finally, he sighed heavily, reached up, undid the clasps to his mask, and set it on the table, running a hand through his hair and over his eyes.

"I have the same thoughts," he admitted, dropping his hand to the table.

Athena looked uncertainly into his eyes. "Well, what do you think I should do?

Zer0 rubbed the back of his neck and shook his head. "You shouldn't ask me, 'Thena. It's your decision."

Her lips pursed. "That's not really helping me, Z."

"I know." He grinned wryly at her.

Sensing the conversation was over, he got up, chair scraping against the floor, and walked over to their bedroom, mask in hand. The door closed and she heard the sound of him undressing behind it, each piece of individual armor dropping onto the concrete floor.

Athena set Thanatos on the floor, sent him off with a pat on the backside, and rested her forehead on the cold table, sighing in relief as it helped ease the pain of a forming headache. Despite it suggesting otherwise, the choice between going with Aurelia or staying in Sanctuary was _much_ harder than she had anticipated. On the one hand, it could provide her and Zer0 with enough money to not have to worry about their financial situation for the near future; on the other hand, who knows what could happen while on the trip. During her time with the Lance, she often heard stories of a few of the smaller ships on the outskirts of the armada being pillaged by pirates, or a banquet or party of an important soldier being raided.

Plus, that didn't even count the inability to see Zer0, maybe even talk to him, for a long period of time. Then there was Thanatos, the little runt. He'd never had one of his "parents" away for more than a couple of days, and would surely miss her. However, with their current situation, they would need all the money they could acquire. Thanatos wasn't getting any smaller, and they had their own basic needs as well. It would be difficult to decline any opportunities, especially one that would guarantee a large paycheck upon completion. Breathing out loudly through her nose, Athena began to grind her teeth in frustration.

As soon as she made the final decision, one that made all the anger inside her dissipate, the bedroom door opened and the thud of Zer0's footsteps got closer to the kitchen. As he rounded the doorway, his gaze was immediately upon her, his black and white eyes staring into her own light blue ones with curiosity.

"I'm going to take Aurelia's offer," Athena said with certainty.

Zer0 nodded. "That is a wise choice."

"Were you going to say the same thing if I decided not to go?"

He winked at her. "Maybe I would have, 'Thena."

She rolled her eyes, but reached for her ECHO and turned it on. A moment passed and she felt Zer0's warmth against her back as he leaned over to inspect what she typed out to send to Aurelia.

 _I'll take up your offer._

 _ **Ω**_

After a second to check over the message to make sure there were not any spelling mistakes, she sent it. "And that's that." She grimaced. "The waiting's always the worst part."

"You know the outcome," Zer0 pointed out, wrapping an arm around her shoulders for a hug from behind.

Athena smiled and grabbed his forearm, inhaling deeply as they sat in the quiet that covered them like a blanket; not too heavy or light. The scraping of small claws against the floor caught both of their attention, and they looked over to see Thanatos walking into the kitchen, looking up at them with a decidedly curious expression on his vicious little face. As he reached his destination, he began to climb up Zer0's leg with his sharp, small claws, causing him to inhale sharply, release Athena, and lean down to pry the stalker off the fabric of his pants and presumably skin.

"All right, Than, all right," he mumbled. "I think he's telling us to sleep."

"Is it really that late?" Athena asked, honest surprise on her voice.

"It's the evening." Zer0 tossed his head to the side to indicate the door, shuffling Thanatos into one arm as he rested his hand on her shoulder. "The sun is setting."

Athena stood up, reaching out to rest a hand atop the small stalker's head. "How about we go out tonight?"

"You mean go to Moxxi, right?"

"'Course I mean that." To emphasize her next statement, she rubbed Thanatos's head. "We can bring him too."

Thanatos sat up in Zer0's arms and, after a brief struggle, dropped to the floor with a soft _THUMP!_ and scrambled over to the door, breathing out excited little cries along the way. Before she could follow him, Zer0 reached out quicker than she had time to react and pulled him against his warm body. Athena sighed against his chest, wrapped her arms around him, and smiled into his shirt, breathing in deeply.

There was a gentle sway in their stance as they held each other, all time seeming to pause in that moment. Athena could feel the pressure of his fingertips as his hands slid down to her lower back to reach up under her shirt and massage her aching muscles. The sound of his breathing against her ear sent shivers down her spine and caused goosebumps to form on her arms, only inducing her to crush his body against hers.

Before any other actions could be made, Thanatos maneuvered between them and pushed them apart, screeching at the top of his lungs. They both looked down at him, unable to show annoyance at his intrusion before looking back up at each other.

"Someone's impatient." Zer0 couldn't help but smile.

The same smile mirrored on Athena's face as she leaned down, picked up Thanatos, and walked towards the entrance of their apartment, hearing Zer0 walk back towards the bedroom to put his armor quickly back on.

They both ignored the new blinking light on Athena's ECHO device.

 **(A/N): This little short story is something I cooked up in about three weeks. I hope you enjoy it! Thanks for reading. Beta'd by CGAdam.**


	2. Chapter 2

It wasn't the warm body pressed against her own that confused Athena as she slowly awakened from the land of slumber. It wasn't even the person's arms wrapped securely around her or the soft sound of breathe in her ear. No, it was the blinding, blinking light of her ECHO device on the nightstand that managed to both befuddle and irritate her.

With a deep sigh, she slung an arm out towards the direction of the light, keeping her eyes tightly shut as to not burn her eyes. It felt like a lifetime before her fingers finally brushed against the familiar cold metal. She cracked open a cautious eye to make sure it was her ECHO; with confirmation, she clutched it in her hand and lifted it off the nightstand, intending to turn it off. However, as she brought it closer, it slipped out of her grasp and clattered loudly to the concrete floor.

With a groan and a long mutter of all the expletives she knew, Athena reached over the side of the bed and began to fumble around in a vain attempt to find it. Groaning once more, she fully opened her eyes to look around the was still night out, the room painted in darkness and shadows cast by the light on her ECHO. Now able to see, she reached over the edge once more to try and grab it without needing to rise from the warmth and comfort of her bed. She felt her fingertips just barely touch the side of it, but couldn't quite grasp onto it.

"For…" she mumbled, unable to finish the swear as she felt the figure behind her shuffle in his sleep.

For a few minutes, Athena paused all movement until she was positive Zer0 had fallen back asleep. With mastered practice, Athena plucked his arm off the top of her waist and managed to scoot out from his grip. As soon as she was at the edge of the bed, she set his arm back down on the mattress. He mumbled tiredly in his sleep, rolling over a second later, exposing his back to her. She stopped to stare at him, temptation to crawl back up against him nearly overwhelming her, but she ignored it for the time being.

The floor was cold as she set her feet against it and leaned over to pick her ECHO up. As much as she wanted to check on what had interrupted her sleeping schedule, she decided not to, for fear it would also inadvertently wake up the bed's other sleeping occupant. A shiver passed through her as she stood up and made her way over to the door, using the blinking light to help maneuver around the room. As she passed scattered clothing on the floor, she stooped down, picked up, and put on her underwear and an overly large t-shirt that threatened to slip off her right shoulder. Hugging the material close to her body, she walked over to the door, turned the knob, and slowly opened it, cursing the squeaky hinges. That was one thing she would _definitely_ have to fix once her job with Aurelia was over.

Athena slipped through the crack and shut the door behind her, exhaling in relief at the small _click!_ it made. Holding up her ECHO, she made her way down the hallway and into the living room, the place feeling so dead and quiet during the night. Scanning the room, she felt a little surprised to not find Thanatos curled up under a pile of blankets on the couch, tail hanging off the side. He must have ran off the moment Zer0 Fast Traveled into Sanctuary, hungry for the vermin that were common on the dirty streets.

She walked over and sat down on it, sinking into the cushion. Reaching behind her, she grabbed the quilt that was draped over the couch and pulled it around her, inhaling the scent of it deeply and smiling. She brought her knees up to her chest and cocooned herself in the quilt.

After feeling cozy enough, Athena finally turned her attention back to her ECHO device, blinking its light up at her as a constant reminder that it _needed_ to be checked. Turning it on, she squinted as the blue holographic screen popped up and blinded her momentarily. She blinked a few times, slowly becoming accustomed to the light. After a few minutes, she stared intently at the screen, irritation building up inside her at the red, flashing message.

 _0500_

She had accidentally forgotten to turn off the alarm on her device, so used to using it to wake up and start the day during her first month on Aurelia's ship. Thankfully, she was smart enough to remember to turn off the audio before reaching Sanctuary, or else she would find herself in an entirely different situation. Gritting her teeth, she exited out of it and turned off her device, tossing it to the side without caring to see where it landed.

Athena settled much more comfortably into the quilt and cushion, laying on her side as she stared into the darkness. Warmth was just now starting to spread through her body, warming everywhere from her toes to her now covered nose. It was more relaxing than she had anticipated, and she started to feel the burn of drowsiness creep into her eyes, threatening to grab ahold and drag her into sleep. As much as she wanted to return to Zer0 and properly fall asleep in bed, she was far too snug right now. Temptation overtook her and she gave up, closing her eyes and curling into a tighter ball under the quilt.

"Just for a minute," she whispered into the blackness before feeling herself drift off into slumber.

* * *

Athena awoke to the sound of the bed squealing heavily in the bedroom, indicating Zer0 was getting up. She shot up, struggling to free her arms from the quilt. As she succeeded, she ran one hand through her tangled, knotted hair and the other over her eyes, wiping the sleep away. A quick glance towards the single window in the room confirmed her suspicion that she had definitely overslept and it was now morning.

Athena didn't have a moment to express her irritation before the bedroom creaked open. The soft thud of heavy footsteps made its way closer to her. A wave of anticipation and nervousness coursed through her as she waited for Zer0 to walk into the living room. She bit her lip and sat up, kicking the quilt onto the floor.

She didn't have any time to do anything else before he rounded the corner slowly, one hand rubbing his left eye and the other clutching the both of their belts tightly. He stopped like a skag in the headlights as soon as he saw her, foot already halfway lifted to take another step. His mouth opened slightly, and she could see the gears turning in his head as his sleep-addled mind processed the sight before him.

"Good-" Athena didn't get the chance to finish before Zer0 dropped their belts and immediately rushed over to her.

The next moment, she felt herself pinned to the couch and his lips tracing the line of her collarbone. A gasp escaped her mouth, and her fingers tangled in his hair, pulling him closer with each kiss he pressed into her skin. He trailed up, down, and to the hollow of her neck, kisses only interrupted by light scrapes of his teeth and teasing brushes of his tongue. She found her legs wrapping around his hips on instinct after a particularly hard kiss on the side of her neck, her mouth open in a gasp or sigh- she didn't know. His mouth found its own invisible path up, _up_ her throat until it found its way onto her own, molding easily against it. A moan escaped her throat as she felt his tongue dart across her lips once, twice, _thrice._

It didn't take long for his mouth to return to her neck, lips gently kneading a bruise to the surface of her skin just above the right side of her collarbone. A shudder escaped her as she felt him latch onto that particular area of skin, impatient for once for the bruise to form, and suck it to the surface, tongue laving over it to soothe the angry red hue.

Athena caught her breath as Zer0 moved up and buried his face into her hair, inhaling deeply and exhaling slowly. She didn't even notice his arms weren't around her body until he enveloped her in them, pulling her close. A complaint didn't rise from her, though, as she laid there, overwhelmed by his warmth, his scent, _him_.

Athena didn't know or care how long they laid there, wrapped up in one another's arms, breathing in the scent of each other and enjoying the mingling of their body heat. She knew the moment had ended when his arms ended up sliding under her shirt, caressing her skin and sending shudders down her spine.

"That's my shirt, you know," he murmured into her ear, voice hoarse from sleep.

"And what do you plan on doing about it?"

Zer0 hummed in thought. "I haven't decided yet."

She lifted her head from his shoulder. "Then what's the problem?"

"Haven't decided."

Athena couldn't stop the dopey smile from appearing on her face, so she distracted herself by burying her face into his shoulder, softly kissing his warm skin. She traced a path to his jawline and back down, repeating the same trail over and over again until she felt Zer0 turn his head to capture her lips against his, impatient for her to continue. She caged his head in with her arms, refusing to allow him to pull away. Her fingers lightly brushed the back of his neck, feeling him twitch and shudder above her. He retaliated by starting his hands up and down her sides and back again, having previously stopped once he felt her lips upon his skin.

Her lungs ached and vision blurred as she pulled away, breathing heavily. However, Zer0 wasn't going to allow her to catch her breath just yet, and managed to lean down and recommence kissing her neck.

"Keep this up," she managed to say through a moan, "I won't wanna go back to Aurelia."

"Isn't that the plan?" he asked cheekily, nipping the sensitive skin between her neck and shoulder to emphasize this.

Athena finally grabbed him and rolled them both over onto their sides, slipping out of his arms as he looked around and at her, confused. Zer0 didn't get a word in before she began to walk towards the hallway to their bedroom. As she was about to round the corner, she looked back at his still form on the couch, smiled, and winked at him.

She took one step into the bedroom before hearing him quickly jump off the couch and race after her.

* * *

"Don't have much to eat," Zer0 said as he shuffled through the fridge.

"What do we have?" Athena asked.

"Rakk, skag, crab worm, bullymong…"

"Anything not meat?"

He didn't respond, instead scouring the shelves to find something edible they would both enjoy for breakfast. Athena ran a hand through her damp hair, leaning against the counter and sighing. She wasn't going to let her post-shower hair and the cold morning air keep her from savoring what time she had left with Zer0. She was due back later that day to finish her last month of work for Aurelia, and she felt it would be the longest month of her life.

"I don't- no, _no_ wait!" He reached far back into the fridge, pulling out two large, wine red bulbs with him that she instantly recognized. "Some Oasis fruit?"

"I thought we ran out before I left," she said as he walked over and set one down in front of her.

"Apparently, we didn't," he mused, holding up and considering his fruit in his hand. "A nice treat for us."

With that, he lunged forward and sunk his teeth into the tough skin of the fruit, bright red juice trickling down his chin. After a moment, he pulled back and chewed on the large chunk, crunching loudly.

"A little bitter," he said between chews. "But not that bad overall."

Athena nodded and looked down at her own fruit. The smooth texture of it felt nice in her palms as she turned it around and about it in her hands. Her fingers passed over a barely noticeable indent, and, holding it steady in her hands, she struck it against the counter in that spot, hearing and feeling it crack. Turning it around in her hands, she stuck her thumbs between the crevice and pried it apart into two halves.

"Very effective," Zer0 complimented.

"Better than biting into it, wouldn't you say?" she teased.

He smiled widely, showing off the two rows of sharp, carnivorous teeth in his mouth, stained pink from the fruit. Athena looked down and lifted one of the halves to her mouth, taking a large, noisy bite, chewing methodically. Just as he had said, her mouth filled with bitterness for a second, but was soon washed away with sweetness.

Within minutes, she had finished her meal while Zer0 followed her shortly after, wiping his mouth on the back of his hand.

"So," she began as he went to grab a drink from the refrigerator, "what were you up to while I was gone?"

"I took a lot of missions." He bumped his head on a shelf as he leaned away from the inside of the fridge. "They kept me busy." Rubbing the back of his head, he closed the door and walked back over to her, setting a water bottle on the counter in front of her. "Watching Than, also. He's a sly stalker, you know."

"He's just a baby," she pointed out, reaching over and uncapping the bottle, bringing it up to her lips and taking a long swig.

"A _stalker_ baby."

"A baby nonetheless."

Zer0 shrugged, opening his own bottle and taking a drink from it. "He missed you while you were gone."

She raised an eyebrow. "Oh, did he now?"

He nodded, grinning. "Kept looking for you. All over the house." He motioned around the kitchen with his index finger. "Wouldn't stop sniffing the streets." A chuckle escaped him. "Even checked Moxxi's."

"And Moxxi let him do that?"

" _No_."

Athena shook her head and snickered, hand coming up to cover her mouth. She looked up and noticed the suddenly solemn look in his eyes, causing a flash of worry to run through her.

"Z-"

"I miss you also," he interrupted. "More than I thought possible."

She looked at him sympathetically and reached out to grab his hand, squeezing it tightly in hers. "I missed you, too." His hand squeezed hers back. "I'm not going anywhere for awhile."

"You can't make that swear," he quietly said.

"Well, I am now." She reached up with her other hand and brushed his cheek with her thumb. "I'm making that promise right now."

As if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders, he visibly relaxed and closed his eyes, leaning into her palm. Athena let the silence drift over them for a few minutes, enjoying the peace and quiet as they sat there, savoring every minute of time they had with each other before she would had to leave again.

With hesitance, she slid her hand off his cheek and stood up. "Since we're out of fruit, why don't we go to Oasis and stock up?"

He smiled. "That sounds like a plan."

Zer0 stood up and walked into the bedroom beside her. As they walked towards the bedroom, she ignored the blinking light she caught out of the corner of her eye.

 **(A/N): Beta'd by CGAdam.**


	3. Chapter 3

The duffle bag was heavy as Athena swung it over her shoulder and began walking down the street. The music blaring from Moxxi's Bar was a familiar, missed sound as she walked near it, taking a quick peek inside for curiosity's. A drunk patron was trying to order one last drink for the night, while others were already passed out. Nothing really new there.

Hefting the strap further up, she turned her attention back towards the street and her destination. As she rounded the corner, the welcoming sight of the worn door put a smile on her face. Setting the duffel bag down at her feet, she fished through her pockets to find her apartment key. After a few gradually annoying minutes, she triumphantly held the key in her hand, metal shiny in the dimming light.

Grabbing the strap of the duffel bag in her hand, she unlocked the door and walked in, kicking it closed behind her. It was dark inside of her apartment, the only light coming from the dirty window in the living room. Athena searched along with wall with her palms, trying to find the light switch. After a few moments, she found it and the single light bulb in the kitchen turned on with a consistent humming noise in the background. Scanning the room, she was surprised to not see Zer0 lurking in the shadows, intent on surprising her for her official return home. Leaving the duffel bag at the front door, she walked towards the refrigerator.

Opening it released a foul stench, quickly making her close it again.

"Guess Zer0 didn't manage to cook all that meat he had in the fridge," Athena coughed out.

Gathering herself, she opened a cabinet, got out a white mug, and went over to the sink to fill it up with tap water. The water was cold and tasted metallic as it washed over her tongue and slid down her throat, but welcoming as it managed to rid the awful stench she inhaled. She left the mug there and continued exploring the apartment. The quilt that was usually draped over the couch was still halfway on the floor and couch just like she had last left it a month ago. Inside the bedroom, the bed was a tangle of sheets and pillows, showing just how poorly Zer0 managed to sleep without her laying by his side. Honestly, Athena wouldn't tease him for that; _she_ found it difficult to sleep most nights without _his_ warm body present.

Looking through the clothes drawers, she pulled out a pair of black pajama pants and one of his shirts. The process of removing her armor and the attire underneath was deliberately slow as she took her time to soak in the knowledge she was _finally_ home. The idea still seemed foreign to her after spending weeks either at celebration parties or surrounded by the four metal walls of her room on Aurelia's ship. Undressed, she slipped on the articles of clothing, taking a moment to pull the collar of the shirt up to her nose and breathe in deeply.

The sound of the apartment door opening made her pause, having remembered she didn't lock it when she first entered the apartment. But then the excited screech from a stalker eased any anxiety that had suddenly built up in her. The clicking of claws grew louder until Thanatos suddenly appeared at the entrance of the bedroom, crying happily at her.

"He-" Athena didn't get to finish before he suddenly pounced on her, tackling her to the ground. He rubbed his cold nose all over her face and neck, causing a giggle to escape her.

"Than. Than!" she managed to say, causing the stalker to pause. She sat up and cradled him to her chest with one hand, the other rubbing his scales and scratching the back of his neck. "It's good to see you, too, boy."

"And what about _me_?"

She looked up to see Zer0 standing in the doorway, amusement radiating off his form. His mask was still on, but she could feel his smile behind the glass. Pushing the stalker off to the side, she stood up and walked over to him. His hands were already reaching out to engulf her, and she willingly accepted melted into his embrace.

"Yeah, I missed you too," she muttered against his armored chest, smelling of gunpowder and blood. A scent long familiar to her.

He pulled away, one hand cupping her face, thumb stroking her cheek, while the other reached up under her shirt to caress her hip. Seeing this as an opportunity, she reached up with one hand and undid the clasps to his mask, pulling it off the next second. The first thing she saw was his smile, warm and tender. The next was his eyes, and she found herself unable to look away from them. The thumb stroking her cheek halted and he began to lean down, seeking out her-

Thanatos wormed his way between them, screeching in Athena's face.

"Seriously, Thanatos?" Zer0 asked, chuckling. "You couldn't wait, boy?"

Athena couldn't help but laugh as she pulled away from his arms, hugging Thanatos close to her chest. The stalker's tail lightly slapped her hip as she walked into the living room, setting him down on the couch. He immediately scrambled up to the top of it, watching as she walked into the kitchen and grabbed her duffel bag and hefted it onto the table.

"How was the trip back?" Zer0 asked, quickly pecking her on the lips on the way to the refrigerator.

"Could've been better," she answered. "Don't open the fridge, by the way."

She was a second too late as he opened the fridge door and quickly slammed it shut, rushing over to the sink and leaning over it, gagging profusely.

"I tried to warn you."

He reached over, picked up her mug, and brought it to his mouth, taking deep swallows. After a few seconds, he set it back down, coughing and clearing his throat. "I'm guessing something spoiled?"

Athena shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine." She smiled playfully. "How did you not know that something _did_ spoil?"

"I've been eating out," he admitted.

He cleared his throat one last time and stared timidly at the fridge for a few seconds before walking over to sit across the table from her. She could see the confusion in his eyes as he looked at the duffel bag between them. "What's inside the bag?"

Athena smirked, leaning back in her chair and crossing her arms behind her head. "Any guesses?"

"Clothes?"

"No."

"Equipment?"

"Wrong again."

He pondered silently for a few moments, tapping his index finger against his chin. Finally, with hesitation in his voice, he asked, "Your paycheck?"

She leaned across the table and partially unzipped the duffel bag, showing its contents to the outside world. "Bingo." She watched him lean forward and glance into the bag, eyebrows raising. "It's enough to last us a whole year just about."

Zer0 looked up and smiled at her, sharp teeth showing and all. He rose from his seat and walked around the table to her. Before Athena had a chance to stand up, he reached out and lifted her from her chair, crushing her body to his and nuzzling his face into her hair. She sighed against him and buried her face into the crook of his neck, breathing in deeply.

"No more jobs from her?" he asked.

"She didn't make any new offers."

He smiled against her. "Good. I'd rather you to stay here."

She leaned away from him and took his face into her hands. "Yeah, I'm not going anywhere anytime soon."

"That sounds like a plan."

Wriggling free from him, she zipped up the duffel bag, picked it up, and walked towards their bedroom. Thanatos closely followed her behind, sniffing at the bag curiously and, at one point, nipping at it. She set it down and scooted it under the bed, hidden from plain sight. Picking up Than, she walked back into the living room.

"Want to celebrate?" Zer0 offered. "Moxxi's for pizza?"

Athena was about to decline, but remembered that something rotten had made its home in their fridge. "Sounds great."

He nodded. "I will go get my helmet."

Before making his way to the bedroom, he walked over to her, cupped her face, and kissed her sweetly, taking his time to express all his emotions in that one simple action. Leaning back, he whispered, "I'm happy you're home."

Athena smiled up at him. "I am too." She pushed him towards the direction of the bedroom. "Now go get ready."

The sounds of Zer0 playfully grumbling and complaining under his breath filled her ears, and she ultimately decided the month of waiting was worth it.

 **(A/N): Beta'd by CGAdam.**


End file.
